The present invention relates generally to a moving model device constructed to run on a racing board of a racing game machine and, more particularly, to such a moving model device that comprises an animal model resembling a racehorse, for instance, mounted on a base member which can run on a mimic racetrack formed on a horse race game machine.
Moving model devices of this kind are disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 1-152698 and Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3009057. These conventional moving model devices are essentially horse model devices, each comprising a miniature racehorse (hereinafter referred to as a horse model) mounted by an artificial human figure representing a jockey (hereinafter referred to as a jockey model), for use in a horse race game machine. In such a horse race game machine, a plurality of horse model devices compete in a race, running on a mimic racetrack resembling an actual race course in accordance with a specified algorithm, and individual players predict results of the race in advance and compete with each other for the correctness of their predictions.
In this type of horse race game machine, it is preferable to make each race resemble an actual horse race as closely as possible to give utmost reality to the players. From this point of view, the moving model devices described in the aforementioned Publications are so constructed that individual horse models swing their forelegs and hind legs individually while running on a mimic racetrack in order to reproduce realistic behavior of racehorses running on an actual racetrack.
More particularly, the moving model device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 1-152698 comprises an animal model mounted on a base member which runs on a mimic racetrack, the animal model being linked to an axle provided in the base member via a crank mechanism. In this construction, the animal model and its legs are caused to swing when wheels of the base member rotate.
In Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3009057, a model of a quadruped is supported on a moving base via a supporting rod. A rotary motion of an axle in the moving base is converted into a rotary motion of a rotary shaft which passes through the supporting rod. The rotary motion of the rotary shaft is further converted into a rotary motion of a shaft which is arranged parallel to the axle. As a result, an eccentric cam rotates, causing legs of the model to swing back and forth.
The aforementioned conventional moving model devices designed for use in racing game machines have however the following problems.
In the moving model device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 1-152698, the crank mechanism for swinging the animal model and its legs is exposed to the players'0 view in addition to a mechanism for supporting the animal model on the base member. This is liable to impair realistic feelings of the players.
According to the construction of the moving model device disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3009057, the eccentric cam for swinging the legs of the animal model rotates in a main body of the animal model. It is therefore essential that the main body of the animal model has a sufficient internal space to accommodate the eccentric cam. Moreover, the eccentric cam should be large enough to ensure a sufficient swinging angle of the legs. This inevitably requires a considerable size of the main body of the animal model, resulting in deterioration of the animal model's external appearance and reality.